Neil Island
4. Neil Island is a small, beautiful and quaint island that offers two extremes of nature on one of its rocky beaches. Yes, Laxman Beach has a spread of dead reef (courtesy Tsunami of 2004) and thriving ecosystem that is open to visitors during low tides. Check timings but forenoon is a safe option when most of the live corals are visible and can be seen closely.
As mentioned before, take a guide when you go to this beach. He will show and explain many things that a casual eye would easily miss. Other than this rocky beach with cave and coral formations, there are two long, silver beaches called Laxman 1 and 2 where one can sit, relax and see the sun set. If you are an early bird, Sitapur Beach will be great to watch the sunrise.
This tiny island is touted as the vegetable basket of the UT and despite its small size, it is rich in flora and fauna. Neil Kendra is heart of the island and there are a few good resorts that have come up recently. Don't expect glamour but natural beauty will over-power you sooner than you realise. Neil Island is not big. They say that a person with reasonable pace, can walk all over the island in less than two hours.
It is a tiny, quaint place
Naturally shaded approach path to Laxman Beach
Dead, killed by Tsunami
A variant of live star fish
A guide is a must ..... a crab in our guide's hand
An almost dead one
The island has many Bengali settlers and they call this formation as Howrah Bridge
Work of natural forces
Nature's artwork
The under water world
A ship goes away
Mr Lazy....a sea cucumber
A colony of its own kind
A platform in the sea
Family pic on the platform
As mentioned before, take a guide when you go to this beach. He will show and explain many things that a casual eye would easily miss. Other than this rocky beach with cave and coral formations, there are two long, silver beaches called Laxman 1 and 2 where one can sit, relax and see the sun set. If you are an early bird, Sitapur Beach will be great to watch the sunrise.
This tiny island is touted as the vegetable basket of the UT and despite its small size, it is rich in flora and fauna. Neil Kendra is heart of the island and there are a few good resorts that have come up recently. Don't expect glamour but natural beauty will over-power you sooner than you realise. Neil Island is not big. They say that a person with reasonable pace, can walk all over the island in less than two hours.
Bharatpur Beach which is very close to the jetty where we had landed earlier. There is a huge sand bar about 100 odd metres from the beach. Till that sand bar, it is flat and shallow, almost knee deep for an adult, and thereafter, it is wavy and foamy and still shallow and plain for a similar distance. If you are looking to hit a point where you could be chest deep, you will have to tread a good amount of distance. BTW, walking in the water is a good exercise.... keep that in mind to avoid exhaustion on your way back!
The beach side is shaded and neatly laid out. This beach offers all the options like riding and snorkeling as are offered at Elephanta Beach. Since waters are cleaner here, it is a better place to do such activities (the best one is yet to be visited). Sea Walk, however, is not available here. Beach side is well supplied with stalls of all kinds, ranging from fruit salad to sea shell outlets. A short walk from the beach, and along the approach road, is a small little eating joint that serves yummy local food at very reasonable prices. If I am not wrong, it is Mamta Hotel or a similar name that is actually owner's young daughter's name. She studies in a govt residential school at Port Blair. She happened to be there, dong her bit towards family run niche.
Over all, it is a nice place to be around for a day or two.
Over all, it is a nice place to be around for a day or two.
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